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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158222">Apollonie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonesAndScales/pseuds/BonesAndScales'>BonesAndScales</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hannibal (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Choking, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, M/M, Resolved Sexual Tension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:41:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158222</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonesAndScales/pseuds/BonesAndScales</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Will was luring him in, for his own personal interest; Hannibal also knew, deep inside, that he had bitten and thus was slowly, inexorably being reeled in. The prospect was not too far-fetched to think that his motive was also sexual in nature, or at least had an underlying sexual aspect.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Especially when he kept peppering their conversations with innuendos.</em>
</p><hr/><p>In which Hannibal is unsure whether Will is trying to get in his pants.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>327</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Apollonie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Collab with the wonderful, amazingly talented <a href="https://twitter.com/enecarlate">enecarlate</a>!! Go check out her works, it deserves all the love!!</p><p>Many thanks to Alex for the beta &lt;3</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Hannibal was getting mixed signals from Will, to say the least.</p><p>After his release from the hospital, he had changed everything about himself so as to appeal to Hannibal’s tastes; his demeanour, posture, wardrobe, hair style... He even gave up on the aftershave, despite him using it enough years for it to linger under his natural scent; truly a tragedy.</p><p>Although Hannibal had never found Will's previous effortlessly casual style unbecoming—quite the opposite in fact—he could not say he was indifferent to this new cleverly calculated persona.</p><p>Will may no longer officially work for the FBI, Hannibal would be a fool to think the fiasco of the trial had completely severed the ties between him and Jack. Although he knew Will not to be his, he also knew him not to be Jack’s bloodhound either. Will was luring him in, for his own personal interest; Hannibal also knew, deep inside, that he had bitten and thus was slowly, inexorably being reeled in. The prospect was not too far-fetched to think that his motive was also sexual in nature, or at least had an underlying sexual aspect.</p><p>Especially when he kept peppering their conversations with innuendos.</p><p>“Your meat always looks so delectable,” Will had purred one evening as Hannibal had made port braised lamb shank.</p><p>Hannibal had paused, sent Will a searching look, but Will was innocently gazing back, waiting for Hannibal to set the plates down. Unsure what to make of it, he had simply smiled and thanked Will.</p><p>He had almost choked on his mouthful a mere couple of minutes later when Will had added, “The closer the bone, the sweeter the meat,” before taking a bite, holding prolonged eye contact as his teeth slid on the fork tines.</p><p>This was no isolated occurrence. A few days later, Hannibal had burnt himself on scalding tea, distracted by the golden glow of Will’s skin under the firelight, the quivering shadows of his eyelashes over his cheeks, the faint flush dusting his cheeks.</p><p>Will had simply remarked, “You should try blowing.”</p><p>It went without saying, Hannibal had burnt himself a second time.</p><p>It was but an offhand comment but the ghost of a smile was visible over the rim of Will's cup. Hannibal had merely smiled back, now distracted by the tightness of his pants which he hoped was concealed in the dim lighting of the room. He had crossed his legs for good measure.</p><p>Once, on a similarly quiet evening, he had tried to initiate the exchange to see how Will would answer to Hannibal propositioning<em> him</em>.</p><p>“My meat is vegan friendly,” he had ventured.</p><p>But Will had only smiled, one of those warm boyish smiles, as though Hannibal had said something incredibly silly. In retrospect, he had. Perhaps he needed to work on his innuendos.</p><p>As he had internally lamented over his own shortcomings, Will had quiped up, “I’m aware you specialise in sausage.”</p><p>Hannibal sat, dumbfounded, for the rest of the evening.</p><p>On another occasion, Hannibal had served soup, warning Will about the heat, and Will had held excruciating eye contact as he gently blew on his spoon, as though to demonstrate his point from last time. Hannibal could not take it, he could not take the upwards look from under those thick eyelashes. He had had to excuse himself and flee to the bathroom, to rub himself through his pants, hoping Will could not hear his soft moans.</p><p>Though he was getting those mixed signals regarding Will’s sexual attraction, there was no denying attraction itself, to Hannibal and the opportunities he was offering.</p><p>They were currently paving the way for it, preparing to leave by dismantling Hannibal’s life brick by brick, and watching it burn in the hearth, his office a soft glow of flames.</p><p>Will was beautiful in the firelight. He was always charming, even in rudeness, but something about the way the orange and red hues danced over his features gave him an otherworldly quality. For the first time in his life Hannibal felt in himself the appeal of religion as a single glance from Will provoked in him an overwhelming need to fall to his knees and worship. And worship he would; once they were gone from this life and onto the next. Once Will had shed the shackles of morality that were keeping him tethered. He would lay the riches of the world at Will’s feet and, at one command from him, he would burn the rest of it to the ground.</p><p>Hannibal was enchanted, admittedly, but he tried to keep himself from thinking too much into the future. Though he would endeavour to steer their lives towards a path that would keep the two of them free and relatively safe, he did not want to spoil the mundane wonders of it. He went back to work, feeding armfuls of written secrets to the hearth, eager to finish so they could go back to the intimacy of his home for dinner.</p><p>As he joined Will at the desk, something caught his attention.</p><p>Will gathered more notes into the crook of his arm and Hannibal leaned slightly forward to take in his scent; most prominent at his nape. There was something foreign underneath, clashing with the familiar blend of pine and dogs and the remnants of that abominable aftershave. Hannibal knew that discordant smell, and though it was not unpleasant per se, its association was. Before he could determine its provenance, Will startled and looked back over his shoulder. They were so close their noses almost knocked.</p><p>Their eyes met, and Will’s widened, lips parting around a breathy, “Oh.”</p><p>Hannibal straightened up, distracted from the tedious task of parsing through the thousands of smells in his mind in favour of drinking in the quiet wonder shining in Will’s eyes. He sealed it into yet another glass jar, to be contemplated in private.</p><p>“I didn’t realise,” Will said softly.</p><p>“Realise what?”</p><p>“You want to kiss me.”</p><p>Incredible how the one time Will noticed his interest was the one time Hannibal did not try to make it noticeable. Oh well, no time like the present to clear those mixed signals.</p><p>“As a matter of fact, yes. I’ve wanted to for quite some time actually, but it seems I may have been too subtle in expressing it.”</p><p>He watched the minute widening of Will’s eyes as the words sank in, the fluttering of the blade-like shadows of his lashes streaking his cheeks. How lovely they were, Hannibal would immortalise them as soon as he had his sketchpad.</p><p>They stood in silence, inches apart, only separated by the notes held in Will’s arm and the persistent ghost of his indecision.</p><p>“I suppose I should be disturbed, from an ethical standpoint,” Will said, low as the crackling fire.</p><p>“And are you?” Hannibal softly asks.</p><p>Will gave a light shrug. “Our doctor-patient relationship has never been very ethical to begin with.” He paused, his eyes flickering to Hannibal’s.</p><p>“I think,” he started, then, much lower as though they might be overheard, “I think I might want to kiss you, too.”</p><p>Hannibal smiled. “That’s quite fortunate.”</p><p>What a relief to have confirmation that Will’s seduction was not all disingenuous. But despite the acknowledgement they kept still. All it would take was the slightest inclination of Will’s head, and for Hannibal to give into the pull.</p><p>Neither of them caved. The fatality of the situation befell Will a moment after it did Hannibal and he let out a soft, mirthless chuckle.</p><p>“Funny how, even as our desires match, we can’t bring ourselves to work together,” he said.</p><p>“Perhaps especially then.”</p><p>“What would you do if I kissed you now?”</p><p>“I would let you... I would respond,” Hannibal said simply; and though he thought the answer was quite obvious by now, Will still seemed startled by it, his jaw clenching for a second before slowly relaxing.</p><p>“Would you regret it afterwards?”</p><p>“No. There is no point in regret, it won’t change the past.”</p><p>“But it will shape your future.” Will’s brow pinched as he pondered over the matter, then he said, “I think I’d regret it.”</p><p>“You have a habit of berating yourself for your desires, be they innocent or sinister, as though you thought yourself unworthy. Undeserving.”</p><p>“Not undeserving, just… unable to stop thinking about the consequences.”</p><p>“What would it change in your future? Would you refrain from acting on your desires ever again, or would it open the proverbial dam of your indulgences?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Probably the former.”</p><p>Hannibal hummed, the solution perched on the edge of his mind as he weighed the chances of Will pushing him away altogether. Because he had always been one to seize the day, he said, “We could encapsulate this moment, cut a pocket of time from the fabric of the world. No consequences, no regret. Only desire and indulgence.”</p><p>Will let out a soft laugh that caressed Hannibal’s mouth teasingly. “That’s the most pompous way someone’s propositioned me for a hookup, I’ll give you that.”</p><p>“I hadn’t expected further than a kiss, but if a sexual encounter is on the table…”</p><p>“Your desperation is like no other, Doctor Lecter.”</p><p>“Perhaps only second to yours.”</p><p>Will laughed again, and Hannibal had to restrain himself not to dive in and devour that laugh from those lips.</p><p>“All this time spent poking at my mind and you still know nothing of it,” Will said though there was no accusation in his tone, only amusement. He was inching closer, drawing Hannibal in like the tide.</p><p>“I try my best to extrapolate from the crumbs you let me have.”</p><p>“You treat me like a frightened animal, like I could bolt any second.”</p><p>“Will you?”</p><p>“If I bolt I become prey, and then I become dinner.”</p><p>“I’ve no need for prey by my side.”</p><p>“What of....”</p><p><em>Alana</em>. The name was not spoken, there was no need for it.</p><p>“Prey are indulgences, not companions,” he said, softer, so close he could feel Will’s breath mingling with his.</p><p>“Is that what you think we are? Companions.”</p><p>“It’s hard to put any kind of label upon our relationship, but companionship has certainly been a constant between us. Even in bitterness.”</p><p>“Betrayal, you mean.”</p><p>Hannibal knew not to acknowledge any accusation. Instead he said, “Deceit and self preservation are inherent to human nature. Though I can’t ensure forgiveness, I can promise understanding.”</p><p>Will snorted, and even that sound was somehow endlessly endearing to him. “I’m not the one who slighted the other, doctor.”</p><p>“I’m speaking hypothetically, of course. For our future.”</p><p>Will sobered almost instantly at the words, the smile vanishing. He only now seemed to realise the full implication of running away together. They were not only abandoning this life, they were laying the foundations for a new one, together.</p><p>The moment held, tension crackling between them.</p><p>It was hard to say which of them moved first but a second later their mouths were crushed together. Hannibal let out a muffled cry when their noses knocked, his eyes prickling with the force of the contact.</p><p>The notes between them fell to the floor with a <em>thud</em> as Will held him close. His hands cupped Hannibal’s jaw firmly to readjust the angle of the kiss. Hannibal was pliant in his hands, too engrossed in the divine but oh so very tangible feeling of Will’s mouth against his. He took a moment to appreciate the clash of Will’s dry lips against his own and set to soften them, diligently sucking on the chapped skin. As soon as it was comfortable, Will sought entrance, quickly granted, and licked into Hannibal’s mouth, pulling a few huffs from him as he grazed his palate.</p><p>He wrapped his arms around Will’s waist and pulled their bodies flush together while Will’s hands slid over his arms. Hannibal ran his own along Will’s back to relish the smooth play of muscles underneath the thick flannel. Taken with the sudden need to feel Will’s skin bare against his own, he grabbed and pulled the shirt out from the tight circle of the pants waistline.</p><p>He laid his palms flat against the heated skin, dipped low to grab the firm mounds of Will’s ass and pulled their hips closer together, then back up, underneath the shirt to cup the sharp curves of his shoulder blades. The bones flared under the skin, they fitted almost perfectly in his palms as though made to be held by him. He lingered on the ribs when it made Will huff in laughter in the kiss, arching into Hannibal to escape clever fingers.</p><p>Will pushed until Hannibal took a step back, another, and another, until he was pressed against the far wall. They parted with a wet <em>smack</em> of their lips, briefly connected by a thin thread of saliva. Hannibal caught a glimpse of Will’s eyes, bright, his pupils blown with desire, before they disappeared behind his eyelids as he leaned in again.</p><p>Their mouths met over and over in a string of short kisses, filling the room with soft suckling sounds. Hands roamed over whatever they could reach though they were pressed so tightly together nothing could get between them. They were steadily hardening, their hips grinding in slow waves and pulling breathless moans from each other.</p><p>Will caught Hannibal’s lower lip between his teeth, worrying it lightly before letting go to leave a trail of kisses along his jaw instead, all the way up to his ear then back again.</p><p>Hannibal moaned, shivering under the attention. He wound his hands at Will’s nape, and tilted his head back to encourage him to go lower; an invitation Will eagerly took. He sucked and nibbled on the sensitive skin of Hannibal’s offered neck, lingering on his pulse point until Hannibal was sure he had left a mark. The idea was quite appealing, truth be told. Hopefully the mark would last.</p><p>When the line of his shirt collar barred Will’s path, without stopping in his ministrations Will reached up to ease off the knot of the tie, then started working on the topmost buttons. He kissed every inch of skin unveiled until he reached Hannibal’s collarbone and gave a sharp bite. Hannibal let out a soft, almost surprised moan and arched in the embrace. Will made his way up to Hannibal’s mouth, sucking on his lips for a moment before leaning back, just enough so they would look at each other. Hannibal tried to chase the kiss but Will’s hands were firm on his chest.</p><p>“Sexual encounter still on the table?” Will asked, smiling one of those playful, boyish smiles Hannibal treasured.</p><p>“Most certainly.”</p><p>After one last peck to Hannibal’s cheek, Will took his hand and pulled him toward the small couch. He had Hannibal sit at the end of it before settling on his lap. They smiled at each other, euphoric as spring lovers before their mouths met again.</p><p>Will was slower, sweeter, as though more confident now that he made the leap and found himself whole and safe on the other side. He took his time exploring what he was given, caressing Hannibal’s jaw and neck, tangling his fingers in the delicately combed hair. They ran down Hannibal’s back, nails dragging along his spine and making him jolt lightly, before moving back forward and settling over his chest. He blindly pulled on the knot of the tie then worked on the buttons of the waistcoat. Hannibal shrugged it off his shoulders, too distracted to protest as Will threw it god knows where behind him along with the tie.</p><p>As their mouths joined anew, Will began to unbutton Hannibal’s shirt down to his lowest ribs. He did not bother with the rest of the placket and simply pulled the shirt up and off Hannibal’s head.</p><p>Now that he was half exposed, it seemed only fair that Hannibal got to undress Will as well. He grabbed the end of Will’s shirt, pulled up, and soon it joined his own on the floor. When they embraced again, he gasped softly, undone by the mere feeling of their bare skin pressed together.</p><p>“You’ve never been so open before, or at least not in front of me,” Will said, cupping his head and caressing his jaw. “It’s intoxicating. I might be starting to get a taste for it.”</p><p>Hannibal blinked, still savouring the novelty of their shared nudity. “Only you can undo me so, my dear. Enjoy the spoils of my surrender, you’ve fought for it fiercely.”</p><p>“Do you say that to all your partners?”</p><p>“Only those who try to kill me.”</p><p>Will smiled. “I honestly can’t say if this means all of them.”</p><p>“I’ve been told I’m a generous lover before, hardly an agent for such animosity.”</p><p>“Mhm. Are we going to talk dick size next?”</p><p>Charmed as always by Will’s particular brand of honesty, Hannibal kissed the smirk on his lips, then wrapped his arms around his waist.</p><p>He let himself fall back on the couch, taking Will in his descent who let out a surprised gasp that dissolved in a peel of laughter. This time Hannibal did not hold back and ate it right off Will’s lips, moaning as it rumbled in his own mouth.</p><p>He ran his hands along the planes of Will’s back and counted the bumps of his spine on his way down. He kneaded the firm muscles of his thighs. They tightened around his waist as they rocked slowly against each other, savouring the moment rather than searching for purchase in earnest.</p><p>Will ran his hands down his chest, tangling his fingers in the coarse chest hair, pulling and clawing and drawing more jerky moans from him.</p><p>He broke the kiss with a soft chuckle. “Sophisticated as you are, I thought you'd be the type to shave or wax. Or trim at least. But you're just a wild thing hidden under layers and layers of proper clothing.”</p><p>“I could say the same of you, dear Will.”</p><p>Will smiled a feral smile at him, full of dark promises, and turned his attention back to Hannibal’s throat. He left a line of wet, open mouthed kisses along the offered column, testing his teeth on the sensitive skin to feel Hannibal shiver under him. This time no collar blocked his path as he nipped his way down his chest. He closed his lips around a nipple and Hannibal moaned; a loud, wanton sound surprising the both of them.</p><p>“Aren’t you sensitive here,” Will said, “More so than at your neck.”</p><p>“I don’t remember—” he moaned as Will latched onto his chest again, his hot tongue laving at the perked nipple.</p><p>“You make such pretty noises. I would have expected you to be more...reserved, even during sex.”</p><p>“It’s, ah, it might be because you—” He muffled another moan as Will caught the hardened nub between his teeth. He could not remember being that sensitive, in truth, but the fact that Will was undoing him seemed to heighten his senses.</p><p>Will pinched his other nipple, twisting it painfully, in time with his sucks and bites and Hannibal arched his back, almost knocking him off of him. He grabbed onto Will’s shoulders, as an anchor as he fell apart under his ministrations.</p><p>He gasped as Will’s hand slipped between their bodies, palming firmly against Hannibal’s length. Hannibal’s hips jerked up at the combined sensation of those three places of stimulation, and Will’s thighs tightened around his waist to keep him in place. Will’s fingers fumbled for a moment with the buckle of his belt then his flies, but eventually he slipped inside and <em>oh</em>, no fantasies could have prepared him for the reality of Will holding onto his most sensitive place. He had not realised how long they had been going but apparently long enough for precum to soak through his underwear.</p><p>Will let go of Hannibal’s nipples, who could not hold back a small sound of protest as the cold air of the room hit his flushed chest. The discomfort was quickly forgotten as Will freed his erection, pulling on both underwear and pants. After much twisting they managed to get both down below his knees. He took hold of Hannibal again and began to stroke him in earnest. Hannibal threw his head back, clenching his teeth.</p><p>“You’re bolder...than I would have expected,” he hissed in between muffled moans.</p><p>“Tonight is one of discoveries, huh.” Will leaned down to kiss him, sucking on his bottom lip until it tingled. “What were all these therapy sessions for, I wonder.”</p><p>Hannibal tangles his fingers in the lush curls, holding Will close as he kissed him. “Words aren’t enough to encompass human nature. Some things have to be felt in the skin.”</p><p>“Like this?”</p><p>Hannibal groaned as the hand tightened around him. Will was adjusting his grip, changing the pace and lingering on the places that had Hannibal make breathy, high pitched moans. He momentarily let go to pull his own pants down and free his erection, coating it with Hannibal’s precum before circling both with his hand. Hannibal reached down to wrap his fingers around Will’s, making a tight tunnel for them to thrust into.</p><p>His eyes snapped open when Will’s free hand settled on his exposed neck, just over his collarbone. Their eyes met. Will’s were wide open, shrouded with the same perverse exhilaration he had sported mere days prior when he promised to kill Hannibal with those very same hands. Hannibal hissed a breath at the thought, his cock jerking in response.</p><p>He took hold of Will's wrist and moved it further up to completely enclose his throat. After a slight nod to Will's bright, searching look, the grip tightened around his neck, pressing on his windpipe and his pulsing carotide, hard enough for him to feel them quiver against the warm palm. It kept pressing until barely a wheeze could push past his lips.</p><p>He grabbed Will's hips, that had gone still as he choked Hannibal, and they resumed their grinding.</p><p>They were heading closer towards the edge, Will panting and Hannibal wheezing through the hand constricting his throat. The blood rushing through his ears was so loud he could barely hear Will’s moans but he drank in every single drop of the pleasure rippling through his expression.</p><p>When he came it took him almost by surprise, so enraptured in the sight of Will as he was. He gasped as his body tensed, back arching under Will’s weight as pleasure rippled through him from core to fingertips. Will was not far behind. His fingers tightened around Hannibal’s throat until no more air could filter through. His face contorted in rapture, head thrown back and mouth slack around a silent moan. He kept stroking them through it, coaxing the last spurts of semen out and onto Hannibal’s abdomen.</p><p>When finally they were both spent, Will let go of Hannibal’s throat, who took several erratic breaths to fill lungs he had not realised had begun to burn. Will supported himself on his abdomen instead, careless of the streaks of cum painting it. Their eyes met, the two of them flushed and panting.</p><p>Hannibal had thought Will beautiful before, there was no other word to describe him now but <em>radiant</em>. Red lips parted and eyes glistening, he seemed to thrum with the aftershock of ecstasy, his pale skin glowing with content. Then something not unlike childlike wonder bloomed in his expression, and Hannibal could not help but mirror his smile, his heart fluttering in his chest. He tilted his chin up to meet Will's mouth in a chaste, lazy kiss.  

When they parted their bodies gave out as one and Will collapsed beside Hannibal on the narrow couch as he lay limp. He tucked himself into Hannibal’s side, his head resting on Hannibal’s shoulder, one arm slung over Hannibal’s chest to stroke his quivering waist and sides.</p><p>
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</p><p>They remained still in comfortable silence for long minutes, basking in the afterglow. Their tangled legs dangled off the end of the couch but neither tried to move up and find a more comfortable position. Eventually their harsh breathing softened until their chests rose and fell as one.</p><p>Hannibal cleared his throat once to chase the insistent prickling the choking had left behind. He felt Will’s face tilt against his neck, his breaths caressing the damp skin of his collarbones.</p><p>“So,” Will said slowly, soft enough not to disturb the gentle atmosphere enfolding them, “that happened.”</p><p>Hannibal matched his tone. “Quite surreal, I agree.” He tightened his hold around Will’s waist, just for the satisfaction of finding him very real indeed.</p><p>“Even in my dreams I’ve never envisioned us…like this.”</p><p>“You dream of me?”</p><p>“No psychoanalysing please,” Will interrupted sharply, though there was humor in his tone, “Don’t ruin this just yet.”</p><p>“I wouldn't want to. What do you see us as, in your dreams?”</p><p>“Opponents, opposites. But always...close. Intimate in a way I can’t really explain. It’s too chaotic for me to truly grasp the meaning of what I see.”</p><p>“A distorted but faithful reflection of reality.”</p><p>Will chuckled. “I guess that’s what dreams are for.”</p><p>“For the sake of equity, I admit I do dream of you as well. I have for months now, though mine would often be considered more...pedestrian in nature.”</p><p>“As in mundane?”</p><p>“As in carnal.”</p><p>Will tensed against him.</p><p>“Like this?” he asked softly.</p><p>“And more.”</p><p>“Hard to believe when you went to all these lengths to have me...out of the way.”</p><p>“We are often pushed to undesirable decisions out of necessity. I understand how tenacious resentment is, but if you...” He paused, the confession on the tip of his tongue. Uncharacteristically, he hesitated—but then again, he had done so much out of character where Will was concerned. He whispered, “Go, I hate you not.”</p><p>The slow rhythm of Will’s breaths against his neck halted for a second, then resumed. “Should I pretend I know nothing about French literature?”</p><p>“You weren't aware?”</p><p>“I...suppose I was, but I didn’t want to believe it. It’s...All of this...I’m still not sure you’re not doing this to manipulate me.”</p><p>As he was about to answer, a whiff of the foreign smell from earlier caught Hannibal’s attention. It was faint under the musk of their scents, but too discordant to blend in it. Now in repose, he took the opportunity to search for its provenance. The smell was not unpleasant in itself, but something about it made his hackles rise. It was sweet, peppered with sharper notes, like...chocolate and spice.</p><p>The exact fragrance of Freddie Lounds’ hair.</p><p>The rumbling pleasure coursing through him was washed away by the cold, sinking feeling of realisation.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Will asked, catching on immediately as usual, though his voice was still pleasant. “Are you finally experiencing regret?”</p><p>Hannibal let out a slow breath, fingers flexing against Will’s waist. Something tightened in his chest, an ache similar yet nothing like the pleasant breathlessness from earlier. He was drowning. He wanted to tear the feeling off his lungs but there was nothing to put a stop to.</p><p>Will pushed himself up, all traces of humor gone, his gaze hardened with concern. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>Hannibal kept his own eyes on the ceiling, unable to meet Will’s gaze. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry and clay-stiff. Once he trusted his voice not to waver, he said, “I'm starting to wonder myself if a life without manipulation is even possible for us.</p><p>“Wait, did you really do this to manipulate me?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Perhaps.”</p><p>For a moment, Will was silent, and Hannibal could feel against his skin the heat of his building anger. It was almost as scorching as the pain of his own grief.</p><p>Then, no louder than a whisper, Will said, “You put me on a pedestal only to knock me down once you get in my pants. I wish I had Sabatier's levity for those situations.”</p><p>“Will, I—”</p><p>“I didn't expect this from you but I suppose I should have seen it coming. You're no different than Jack in that respect, taking whatever you need from me then throwing me away.”</p><p>“My feelings for you are unchanged. If anything I'm delighted by the progression of our relationship, but I—” He bit his lip, the lump in his throat almost pushing a sob out of him.</p><p>
<em>What did you bring to the table?</em>
</p><p>He could not bring himself to ask. The irony of the situation was not lost on him. He was keeping Abigail from Will, and Will was keeping Lounds from him; yet another move in their grand game of deceit and seduction. It was charming how, despite opposite goals, they almost always mirrored each other in methods, meeting the other for every blow. He could not help but wonder what else Will was hiding from him; probably as much as Hannibal himself was hiding from him.</p><p>He understood the hypocrisy of resenting Will for a flaw he shared. It did not stop him from resenting him still.</p><p>After a long while, he could feel Will’s anger seep away, replaced by resignation instead, but his own pain was not receding. It grew and crushed his ribcage, creeping up his throat until his eyes prickled with the pressure.</p><p>“A pocket of time, right?” Will said softly, pulling away to straighten his pants and search for his shirt on the floor. “Let’s clean up and finish burning these notes.”</p><p>Hannibal nodded, and tucked himself back in his own pants, eyes closed lest the brimming tears spilled over.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://twitter.com/enecarlate/status/1319492263555321858">Find the art on twitter!</a>
</p><p>Thank you for reading!! Go give love to <a href="https://twitter.com/enecarlate">Kai</a>, she's the loveliest bean!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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